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Single Girl Diaries: Tall Buildings and White Knights

Quite a bit has happened since my last post, so I thought you’d all be super interested in knowing what’s going on in my life since I’m so cool and hip and popular.

As of August 1, I began working at Inc. Magazine/Inc.com as their Digital Photo Intern. It was a whirlwind of a situation at first. I got a response one day after applying for the position and had an interview at 7 World Trade Center the following day. The whole “pinch me, I’m dreaming” had never felt so relevant.

I interviewed with my now boss and she’s a rockstar. On top of being the Digital Photo Editor for Inc.com, she is the Creative Director for VUU Studio, her own Brooklyn-based studio that publishes amazing new photography. So you could say I got pretty lucky on the mentor sitch.

For the past three weeks, I’ve gotten to work in the hub of NYC’s Financial District just 100 feet from One World Trade Center. I have my own computer, my own inc.com email, and my own Mansueto Ventures phone extension. (I know. It’s YUGGGEE.) I get to spend my days doing things I love: looking at photos (sometimes of puppies!!!!), editing photos, meeting new awesome people and getting PAID to do it. (Not a salary, but enough to survive.)

I don’t know how long they’ll keep me around, but I have at least a few months to make connections, learn the industry from talented mentors and get involved as much as possible. I hope to take the internship beyond photo editing and learn all I can.

I’ve been so fortunate since arriving in NYC. I have an amazing support system back home sending prayers and love, the perfect roommates (ily Nikki and Caitlin), a demonic cat that’s cute sometimes, a ton of NYC Mizzou Mafia members just a phone call away and I haven’t died from undercooking chicken yet. Things are working out and I’ve never felt so at peace with my decision.

*Parents stop reading here.

But of course, it wouldn’t be my life without the occasional (less occasional than I’d like) “Why Me?” experience. In this week’s episode of being a female in NYC, I bring the tale of the White Knight.

Last night, my roommates and I attended a gathering of Mizzou and new friends just a 25-minute train ride from our apartment. However, because the world loves to play jokes on us, our train wasn’t running and we had to take a bus. Now there is nothing wrong with the bus. It’s definitely less convenient and trying to pack a trainload of people onto one city bus is less than ideal. But that was it. Just an inconvenience. We got to the house party with ease, had a lovely night of hanging with pals and arguing about Ryan Lochmess, then left. All was well. The train took us to our bus stop and we prepared for the last leg of our half-hour journey home.

While we were waiting at the bus stop, a young man approached us with concern. He looked at us and then behind us before saying the last thing I expected.

“I don’t want to freak you out, but the man behind you has his penis out.”

I KID YOU NOT. ON A CROWDED STREET CORNER WITH 30 PEOPLE WAITING FOR BUSES AND ALL THE STREET LIGHTS IN THE WORLD, THIS MAN DECIDED TO PULL HIS BUSINESS OUT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

Without looking, we thanked our heroic White Knight. He walked away but stayed closer than before as a precaution. We made the immediate decision to Uber home, but as soon as we requested a ride, the bus pulled up. Being the broke, 20-somethings we are, we sucked it up, canceled our Uber and took our two stop bus ride home.

But the dirty man followed. And I saw IT.

Once on the bus, we sat and avoided all eye contact as not to attract him. However, that didn’t stop him from standing next to my sweet roommate, junk at eye level before she yelled “NO NO NO,” causing the man to walk to the front of the bus. But within one stop, he was back at it and only feet from me, moving closer and closer, until I could bear it no longer and pushed past the man to stand next to the driver.

Thankfully, White Knight came to the rescue for Nikki and Caitlin by letting them stand next to the back door and using himself as a barrier from the disgusting man.

We made it off at our stop without incident. We thanked our knight in white t-shirt armor and walked the half block home. The whole event lasted no more than 10 minutes, but it truly shows the diversity of men in this city. There are those that seek to harm and those that seek to help.

I can honestly say that I have never felt unsafe or in danger the entire time I’ve lived in this city. I’ve had bizarre incidents, this one topping the cake, but I’ve never once felt scared. I don’t know if it’s the street lights, the amount of people, the proximity my home from the station at night, but I felt more in danger walking to my apartment at 9 p.m. on a weeknight in Columbia, Mo. than I have here. There may be more people here, but I like to think the good outweighs the bad.

So that’s it for me. Not a lot going on. Working, binge watching Netflix, making excuses not to work out, making new friends and overall loving life. I miss home. I miss my family. I hate that plane tickets are so expensive and that I live 1200 miles away. But this feels like the right place to be for me right now. I don’t know how long I’ll stay. I miss the trees and hills. I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest. There is still so much adventure out there, but I’m here and ready for it.

Thanks for all the love and support, fam. Y’all are the best.

*P.S. Dad, I told you not to read past that point so when you inevitably call, I’m fine. My roommates are fine. I’m not moving home. I don’t walk alone in the dark. Often. I love you.